Tinnitus: It has a certain ring to it

Tinnitus is an auditory perception, described as a ringing, roaring, buzzing,
chirping or humming sound. It can be constant or intermittent, in one or both ears, and has no
external source. It’s a sound a patient hears that is not usually heard by others.

One-third of adults, or 40-50 million Americans, report experiencing
tinnitus. According to Dr. Pamela Minard, an audiologist at Hearing Health Solutions, “About
75-85 percent of people with hearing loss also have tinnitus. Generally, the more severe the
hearing loss, the greater the annoyance from tinnitus.”

Methods for relief include sound therapy with hearing aids, relaxation therapy,
dietary changes and others. Dr. Minard has seen many patients benefit from hearing aids to amplify
sounds they are missing. “Those amplified sounds often reduce the annoyance of tinnitus by
introducing environmental sounds the patient wants to hear.

Also, certain hearing aids include sound generators useful to some patients in
managing tinnitus,” she added. “We know it’s exacerbated by stress. Patients find that hearing aids
enable them to exert less energy hearing, thus reducing stress and further relieving their
tinnitus.”

All audiologists at Hearing Health Solutions have advanced degrees. They
collaborate with Ohio ENT physicians to provide a higher standard of care and the best available
technology.

To learn more about tinnitus and the relief hearing aids may offer, call
614-538-4327 or 855-233-4327 to schedule an appointment.